Imagine instead of just reading about another country’s unique history, culture, religion and agriculture practices you got to experience them firsthand.
The LEAD Program, designed to prepare and motivate men and women in agriculture for more effective leadership, gave 28 fellows the opportunity to explore Romania, Hungary and Poland from January 3-17.
LEAD Class 42 was part of the international study/travel seminar, offering fellows an invaluable global perspective that enhances their leadership skills and understanding of agriculture in a global context, according to Nebraska LEAD Program director Kurtis Harms.
Among those making the trip were Michelle Bose of Arcadia, Kelby Sudbeck of Ord, Brad Parliament of Mason City, and Levi French of Broken Bow.
Parliament, who’s a Market President with First Interstate Bank in Broken Bow, remarked on how the countries they visited have changed since being released from communism.
“They were shut off from the rest of the world for so long, it’s just fascinating what fifty years of living in a bubble can do to a country, and how they’ve had such a hard time coming out of that, and progressing forward even though they’re what we say old country, they’re a new country in their freedoms, in their technology and processes.”
French, who works at Sargent Pipe, says experiencing the differences each country offered was a highlight for him.
“Just experiencing, kind of immersing ourselves in the culture. A lot of those countries spoke a majority of English so there wasn’t a huge language barrier, but just seeing the different foods, the different cultures, different music, just kind of experiencing that firsthand was just really impressive to me.”
Bose, who farms and is a closing agent with Dvoracek Title, says what struck her after the trip was “the need for us as leaders in agriculture in these rural communities, the need for us to kind of step up and be in those leadership positions, making sure we’re electing officials that stand for our values and kind of serve our communities and then, if we don’t see those leaders stepping up to be elected, maybe we need to look at ourselves and step up and fill those roles.”
Listen to our full interview with Bose, French, and Parliament here:
